Piyush Goyal says Piyush Pandey created the slogan ‘Abki Baar Modi Sarkar’

Piyush Pandey

Union Minister Piyush Goyal has said that well-known advertising legend Piyush Pandey was the person behind the 2014 election slogan “Abki Baar Modi Sarkar.” Speaking at an event called “Celebrating Piyush,” Goyal shared how the slogan came about and what led Pandey to take up the project.

Goyal said that Pandey at first did not want to work on the campaign. “I sat with him for seven hours, but he kept saying no,” Goyal said. “The next morning, he called me and said, ‘Yeh desh ki zaroorat hai.’ He normally never did political campaigns, but he took this one up as a responsibility for the country.”

According to Goyal, Pandey usually stayed away from political advertising, but he agreed this time because he felt it was needed for the nation. The decision, Goyal added, turned out to be a historic one, the slogan became one of the most well-known political lines in India.

Goyal also spoke about Pandey’s modest nature. He said that even though many people later tried to take credit for the slogan, Pandey himself never claimed it. “Others claimed to have written it, but he never said a word. That was his humility,” Goyal said.

The minister praised Pandey for his clear and simple communication style. “He could connect with the common man, brief, simple, to the point. A very big message in just four words,” Goyal said, calling it a “masterclass in mass communication.”

He added that the slogan’s strength came from how direct and easy it was for people to understand. It used everyday language that people across India could relate to, no matter where they came from. Goyal said the process of the slogan making showed Pandey’s deep understanding of the Indian mindset and how to speak to the public in their own voice.

Goyal also mentioned that one of the biggest lessons he learned from Pandey was to communicate in a language that truly connects with the people. “Among his biggest lessons from Pandey,” Goyal said, was to “think in Hindi if you want to work in India, if you want to connect with the people of India.”

Piyush Pandey is known as one of India’s most respected advertising professionals. His work is famous for mixing creativity with a strong sense of what Indian audiences relate to. Goyal’s comments at the event were a tribute to this quality, how Pandey’s simple and powerful ideas could speak directly to people and even shape a national campaign.

The slogan “Abki Baar Modi Sarkar” went on to become a major part of the 2014 general elections and was heard across the country in speeches, ads and everyday talk.

During the event, Goyal's revelation gave a sneak peak into what went behind the scenes and how the process went.